What is parchment in coffee processing?

Parchment is the thin but tough papery layer that surrounds the green coffee bean beneath the mucilage. It's part of the coffee cherry's seed structure - technically the endocarp - and protects the bean during fermentation, washing, and drying after pulping.

Washed and honey processed coffees are dried with their parchment intact - referred to as parchment coffee or café en pergamino. The parchment is only removed at the dry mill during hulling, just before grading, sorting, and export.

For producers, parchment coffee is the form in which washed lots are stored between processing and dry milling. Keeping coffee in parchment for a defined resting period (reposo) is associated with improved cup quality and longer storage life - the parchment provides a protective barrier that helps stabilise the bean's moisture and chemistry before the lot is prepared for market.